Taking Breaks
by Siancore
Summary: ON HIATUS Our favourite survivors have settled into a safe community that has adequate governance, security, soap and water! I just want them to be happy for a little while so this is some light-hearted fun with a focus on Richonne. Rated M for later.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: found this in my drafts folder (wrote it when I was sick and forgot about it).

Our favourite survivors have settled into a safe community that has adequate governance, security and soap and water! I just want them to be happy for a little while so this will be some light fun (if you want drama and stress, you should read some of my other fics lol).

* * *

Carl stood atop the rickety wooden chair near the large window in what was now Michonne's bedroom. He was able to get the blind disentangled so that they were able to roll it down and provide Michonne with some privacy. He was still not happy that she had chosen to stay with Tara, Noah and Daryl instead of with him, his father and his sister. He had spent most of the afternoon sulking and trying to get her to change her mind.

"It's working now."

Said Carl as he stepped from the chair and drew the blind down; the room instantly became darker as Michonne turned from where she stood near the closet where she had been inspecting the clothing contained therein.

"Great. Thanks, Carl." Came her reply.

"You know there are curtains at our new place, right? You wouldn't have to worry about blinds that are most likely gonna get stuck again if you just stayed with us."

He tried reasoning one more time in an effort to convince her that what was now the Grimes residence was a better place for her to live.

"Nice try." She responded. "But like I already told you, there's no room for me at your house."

"There's always room for you with us. You can take my bed and I'll sleep on the sofa." He said, for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

"I am not going to kick you out of your new bed, Carl. Not now that we all have somewhere safe to stay and you have somethin' to call your own again." Michonne said.

"Yeah, but we always share and you can still be safe at our house and we'll be safer with you at our house and if you won't take my bed, then you can have my dad's bed." He said quickly.

"Does your dad know about this?"

She asked with a slight chuckle; she had to admire his tenacity that matched his father's.

"No, but you know he'd let you have it if you asked." Came the boy's reply.

"I'm definitely not kickin' Rick out of the first bed he's had in ages. No way!" Michonne stated amusedly.

"Well why can't the two of you just share his bed?" Carl said without really thinking about what that could entail.

Michonne felt her face grow warm at the same time as she became lost for words momentarily. She had to admit that the thought of sharing a bed with Rick Grimes was quite an enticing idea. Now that they had found themselves in a safe place where they could try to regain some normalcy to their lives, things could be different for the group. Michonne had admitted to herself some time ago that she was strongly attracted to Rick, and was sure that these feelings were reciprocal; but there really was little chance of anything happening between the pair while they were out on the road. Yet this settlement was not the road and there was the opportunity for them to become intimate, should they ever choose to act on their mutual attraction.

Michonne gave Carl a questioning look and the boy suddenly realized how his last comment had sounded.

"Wait, I didn't mean it like that. But, actually; no, if you guys want it to be like that then that's cool too. Just please come and stay with us." He pleaded.

Michonne was somewhat surprised by Carl's honesty; the boy was seemingly happy for her and his father to be together in whichever way they saw fit, although this was not a conversation she was going to be having with him presently.

"Carl, your dad has a say in all of this too." Was all she could think of offering in response.

"I know, but he really wants you to stay as well!" He said.

Michonne felt bad for Carl now that he had resorted to stretching the truth to get her to yield to his request. She briefly entertained the idea of changing her mind but would not commit to anything until she spoke with Rick later on.

"Look, I'll think about it, okay? But I'm not promisin' that I'll move in. I'll talk to your dad later, alright?"

She asked and could not help but beam widely when she saw the bright smile that crossed Carl's face.

"Thank you!" Carl said as he raced over to Michonne and hugged her tightly.

"Okay, now you should get going and try out your totally awesome shower. Tara left the bags of clothes in the living room for you. They might be just a bit too big for you, but you're growin' so fast that they'll fit soon enough."

"Did you find any clothes yet?"

The boy asked, looking past Michonne and into the closet that she was previously exploring.

"Oh yeah, I've found so much stuff! This is great! Look at this."

She answered excitedly while holding up the purple knee-length sundress for the boy to see. Carl could not help but smile at her enthusiasm; it was definitely a nice change.

"My Dad's gonna like that." He offered, still grinning.

"Yeah, I'm not sure if it's his color though." She replied playfully and they both fell into laughter.

"I'll see you over at Glenn and Maggie's at dinner time." Michonne then added.

"Alright." Said Carl. "See ya later."

* * *

The group had begun to eat and Rick still had not arrived; Michonne placed her food aside as she stood and informed her friends that she would go and see what was taking Rick so long. The sun had yet to set as she stepped out onto the street and walked in the direction of the Grimes residence.

She stopped at the front door and used her hands to pat down her dress and then fix her hair.

_What am I doing?_ She thought. _He's not gonna be worried about what I'm wearing._

Michonne rolled her eyes, shook her head and knocked three times loudly on the wooden door; she waited patiently for Rick's response. It seemed odd to her to have to do it after having spent so much time on the road and living communally. People just did not have the same level of privacy that they had before; everything was out in the open and you shared what you had.

There came no answer so Michonne rapped thrice more before becoming worried for Rick's safety. She cautiously tried the doorknob, it turned and she pushed the door open. She peered into the kitchen and looked around the lounge room; both were empty. Michonne instinctively reached over her shoulder for her katana only to find that it was not there. She then proceeded to creep up the stairs and tread lightly up the hallway. She could hear faint movement coming from what was now Carl's bedroom; she tentatively glanced through the open doorway to see an almost frustrated looking Rick Grimes standing near his son's bed with a pile of clothing on it.

They both noticed each other at the same time and inwardly jumped; although Rick was not letting on that Michonne had startled him. He went to say something but then he was struck speechless by her appearance. The purple dress accented her luscious dark skin and Rick could not force his gaze from her. He was shaken from his trance when she spoke.

"Shit, Rick. You had me worried. What's takin' so long? Where are your clothes? Why are you half naked?" She asked as he stood before her wearing only a pair of boxer shorts and sporting a freshly shaven face.

Once she realized he was undressed, Michonne spent longer than was necessary staring at Rick's slight but toned form. Her eyes wandered over his body and back up to his face until she gathered her wits about her and apologized.

"Sorry, I should let you finish dressing." She said quickly as she turned and headed for the door.

"No, wait!" He called after her. "Can you help me?"

Michonne stopped in the doorway and slowly swivelled to face Rick.

* * *

A/N: Hmm, I wonder what he needs help with?

Please, let me know what you think.

More to come!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'd love to see some Richonne scenes on the show where they're just talking about silly things that aren't even important; laughing, joking, flirting and enjoying each other's company.

Nothing too heavy here just a whole lot of fluff and stuff and things!

Sorry for the super long wait for an update.

* * *

Michonne inhaled and exhaled sharply, but discreetly. She did not want to let Rick know that she was feeling flustered in his presence. Calmly, she stepped forward and tried to speak to him evenly.

"Okay," she started. "What do you need help with?"

Rick gestured around the room at the clothing strewn everywhere.

"I need help findin' somethin' to wear," he said as he placed his hands to his hips.

"And you thought the best place to look would be in Carl's clothes?" She said while chuckling at him.

Rick rolled his eyes and pretended to be offended.

"Very funny. I know this ain't the best place to look, but I really don't wanna wear the clothes I found in my closet," he said defiantly.

"Why not?" Asked Michonne.

"Because I don't wanna wear a bunch of fancy ass dress shirts. I like to keep it comfortable and simple," he explained.

"Yeah well, I know for a fact you look great in whatever you're wearing," she said absentmindedly.

Rick tried to supress his smile as he glanced over at her.

"If that were true, I could just go as I am," he said as he gestured to his state of undress.

Michonne scanned his body again before raising her eyebrows slightly.

"Like I said, you look great," she said quite intentionally this time.

They both fell silent while staring at one another; each not knowing what to say next. Rick cleared his throat and felt self-conscious.

"But maybe we should go check out what you have," Michonne added noticing the slight change in his countenance.

They made their way over the corridor into Rick's room and Michonne walked up to the closet and started searching through the clothing. She held up a few shirts before placing them back where she had gotten them from and moved on to the trousers.

"These pants aren't gonna fit you," she said without turning around. "They're too big; your ass is so flat they'd just keep fallin' down."

Rick laughed at her reasoning.

"You been lookin' at my ass Michonne?" He queried.

"Maybe," was all she said.

He could not see her face but could hear it in her voice that she was smiling.

"So just wear my jeans then?" He asked.

"I think so. But these shirts should be fine, a bit big, but fine. And if you need to, you can just tie the back up so it will fit." She teased, recalling how she had altered a very similar men's white shirt like the one she handed to Rick.

"I think you're the only one who can pull off that look," Rick said with a smile as he began to get dressed.

"Hey, I work with what I can find," she replied as she took a seat on his bed.

"Well, actually; I was gonna say that you look really good tonight. That's a nice color on you." He said with a shy smile as he buttoned the shirt, moved to the bed and took a seat opposite Michonne.

"Thanks Rick. It's kinda nice to take a break from wearing the same tired outfits. Did you know before all o' this happened I rarely ever wore jeans and a tank top?" She offered with a small smile.

Rick grinned back at her as he found her smile, even when it was small, to be contagious. He let her continue to speak. He found the sound of her voice calming.

"And as for boots? No thank you. I was a dress and heels girl all the way." She said laughingly.

Rick's grin grew wider.

"For real?" He asked.

"Hmmm. For really reals." Michonne answered playfully. "Not very practical clothing nowadays, but I guess it's okay once in a while in a place like this, ya know, to get dressed up."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Rick replied, not convinced fully that they needed to be wearing fancy clothing just because they were in a community that was relatively safe; though, he had to admit, Michonne looked particularly beautiful that very evening.

"What about you, Rick? What was your _style_ before the world ended?" She asked as she shifted and got more comfortable.

"I worked so much that I'd have to say my uniform," he offered, reminiscing happily for the first time in a long time.

Maybe it was the ease of the conversation, maybe it was being there with Michonne; but Rick felt like he could speak freely about himself, remember his life before and not feel so overcome with sadness that it was almost crippling. Michonne smiled and sighed loudly.

"Now, that would've been a sight; Rick Grimes in a police uniform. Yes please!" She teased playfully nudging his shoulder, only half serious; not wanting Rick to blush any more than he presently was. He chuckled slightly, and Michonne noticed he was somewhat flustered. They fell silent again; Michonne internally chided herself for being a little too flirtatious with Rick and therefore stifling the conversation.

Rick glanced over at her and the corners of his mouth turned up into a coy smile.

"Did you wear a beard before, or did you discover it was the must have look for the end of the world?" Michonne asked, breaking the silence.

Rick let out a chortle.

"I never let it grow before; always had a clean shaven face. Kept my hair cropped short too for the most part." Rick said as he ran his hand through his curls.

He then added: "Did you always wear your hair like that?"

"No, not always. Just after I finished college I changed my style. But it's actually a must have apocalypse look. Much easier to maintain." She said in a matter-of-fact manner.

"Well it suits you." Rick offered as they held each other's gaze.

Both Rick and Michonne were enjoying taking a little break from the seriousness of the world and having a conversation about things that really did not matter. Michonne found that asking questions about Rick's past was quite fun as he was being increasingly forthcoming with her.

"Thanks. So, you mainly wore your uniform and kept your appearance pretty _conservative_?" She asked to clarify.

"Yes ma'am, that sounds about right." Rick said with a grin and a nod.

"Did you have a wild side?" Michonne queried. "Or were you straight-laced?"

Rick looked to the ceiling while he contemplated how to answer her question.

"I don't know if I wanna answer that."

"Why not?" Michonne said, eyes wide with intrigue. "Oh my goodness, is there some wild controversy in your past?"

"Nah, nothin' like that. I'm afraid I might sound boring to you." He answered honestly.

"Rick, that's just silly. And there's no way I could ever find you boring." Said Michonne.

_Silence._

_Stares. _

"I was just a father and husband who worked long hours, nothin' excitin' at all." He said, his expression growing plaintive.

"You were dedicated and loyal; that's virtue in itself. And you still are. You may not be the most exciting man, but you're the best one I know." Michonne said as she beamed at Rick.

* * *

"So you were a tea drinker?"

"Yes, believe it or not; I was quite partial to green tea in particular. Not only was it soothing on the stomach, but it had a certain tendency to calm the senses also. I only partook of coffee on the rare occasion," Michonne said, and the sophistication in her inflection was evident.

Rick wondered even more about who she was before the end of the world; she was obviously cultured and well-expressed, that much was clear from listening to her speak, but Rick wanted to know more.

They had been chatting away amicably about nothing of great importance for some time; Rick barefooted and leaning on his elbow with his body stretched out on the bed and Michonne with one leg on the bed while she hugged one of Rick's pillows to her chest.

"You must've really hated that instant coffee we had at the prison then," he said.

"Oh, I never drank it, at all! I swear, when we got here and found out there was coffee we could brew and I had some, my stomach couldn't handle it! That's how long it's been since I've had any caffeine."

Rick could not help but chortle at how animated Michonne had become; she used her hands when she spoke and her eyes were almost as bright as her smile. They had grown so accustomed to talking about what they needed to do in order to survive; whether it was procure food, go on supply runs, stock up on weapons and ammunition or develop strategies to defend against and combat threats, those were the conversations both Rick and Michonne knew all too well. It was like second nature to just begin speaking about what steps they needed to take to secure food so that they could be nourished, but they never spoke about what their favourite meal was _before_.

It was true that those things did not matter anymore, but what did matter was showing an interest in who the person was that stood beside you and fought; who the person was who had helped to keep your children safe; who the person was who had saved your life countless times; who they were before everything happened. It was important to show that you valued the people you had grown close with; and if that meant taking time off to joke around and talk about better times, Rick was willing to do that. He admitted to himself that it felt good too; even if he did not find it therapeutic, it was worth it to see Michonne's face light up so brightly that he felt a slight tugging in his chest.

He appreciated and cared for Michonne but sometimes the harshness of reality did not afford one time to really express their affection and gratitude. Yet now, they had found themselves in a place that resembled the world that they knew before; a place where they could take the time to breathe; to laugh; to smile; to make small talk.

"I wish I knew that before," Rick said quietly. "I would've thought to find tea for you on a run. I mean, you're always so thoughtful and I just feel like a huge jerk…"

"You have a lot of responsibility, Rick. I don't expect you to think of things for me when you have other things on your mind." Michonne said in earnest.

"But you always brought back things for me and the kids; that's thoughtful of you," Rick stated. "I feel like an ungrateful ass now that I think of it."

Michonne chuckled.

"You can be an ass sometimes, but you're not an ingrate, Rick."

He then let out a small chortle.

"You're a good person, complicated; but good." She added quickly.

"Are you the president of the Rick Grimes Fan Club?" He asked laughingly.

"What?" Michonne asked with a smile.

"You've been payin' me a lot of compliments tonight.

"Shut up. Maybe I have good reason to," she said softly while fluffing up the pillow and avoiding his gaze.

"Oh yeah? And what might that be?" He asked, a certain flirtatiousness to his tone.

"It's a secret," she whispered as she leaned down towards Rick and winked, causing him to grin at her playfulness.

"Come on!" Rick pleaded as he tried to pull the pillow away from her; she yanked it back and slapped his arm.

"Okay, okay; I'm only being so nice to you because…"

"I look good in an oversized dress shirt even though I'm boring and got a flat ass?" Rick laughed and Michonne joined in.

"No, though some of that is true. It's because I heard some things from a certain teenager we both know."

"Carl? What has he been sayin'?" Rick asked as he sat up on the bed.

"Well, he said that you had a stash of stale M&amp;Ms." She said and Rick laughed.

"He's a liar! You know we always share!" Rick said in his own defence.

"Yeah about that; Carl said somethin' about you wanting me to live here with you all." Michonne said in a more serious tone.

Rick raised his eyebrows and nodded.

"I may have mentioned it once or twice."

"You didn't mention it to me," Michonne said quietly.

"I know," he offered. "Just thought you'd want a little break from me and the kids since we spent so much time together on the outside."

Michonne shook her head.

"No way; I love being with you and the kids. I wasn't gonna ask to stay here with you guys, and when you didn't suggest it either, I just thought you didn't want me to."

"Of course I want you to, Michonne," said Rick as he shifted closer to her. "I just didn't know how to say it without sounding bossy or needy."

Michonne chortled.

"Need part's right. You obviously need me here, Rick. I mean, you can't even dress yourself!" She joked, attempting to lighten the mood again, and it worked.

Rick pulled the pillow from Michonne and gently tapped her upside the head with it.

"Hey!" She exclaimed as she grabbed another of the pillows and hit Rick much harder.

They both exchanged several playful blows while kneeling on the bed; Michonne was getting the best of Rick in their pillow fight and he was not even letting her win. She could not supress a giggle as Rick gripped her waist and began to tickle her sides while she continued to swipe at him with the pillow. They both fell back onto the bed as Rick tried to pull the offending weapon from her grip with one hand and continued tickling her with the other.

Once Michonne let go of the pillow, she tried to grab Rick's hands to stop his tickling assault; her squirming and giggling caused Rick to chuckle as well and he shifted so that his body pinned hers to the bed. Rick held her hand above her head so that she had to try to break free of his grip using only her other hand.

"Okay! Okay! You win, Rick!" She said breathlessly.

They were both still panting and smiling as Rick remained on top of Michonne; he then brought her hand back down beside her, but did not let go. Instead, he gentle rubbed her fingers with his thumb and then slowly and softly trailed his hand up her arm; they did not break eye contact the whole time. Rick caressed Michonne's bare shoulder before brushing his thumb over her collarbone; her chest was still heaving as she fought to catch her breath. Rick then cupped the side of her face while still holding her gaze. He took in her features; admiring her dark eyes and heart shaped lips.

"You're so beautiful," he finally said in a whisper.

"Yeah, so are you," she replied.

A small smile played on Rick's face before he leaned down and caught Michonne's mouth in a tentatively gentle kiss. Her lips were even softer than he had imagined as they deepened the kiss and Michonne wrapped her arms around his back. Their breathing was still heavy as Rick slid his hand up and down the side of her small waist before venturing lower to her thigh. He then shifted his mouth from Michonne's and began to nibble and kiss her neck before moving on to her collarbone; the sound that she made encouraged Rick to keep tasting her smooth skin.

Michonne wrapped her leg around Rick as she lifted his head so that their lips and tongues could meet once again. Rick broke their kiss a moment while he took the opportunity to stare into her eyes once more. The intensity of their gaze matched their arousal and Michonne began to unbutton the shirt that she had convinced Rick to wear not too long ago. He made quick work of pulling it over his head and throwing it to the floor before he covered Michonne once again. She ran her hands over his bare chest and gripped his strong shoulders while his hand travelled farther up her thigh. Rick squeezed her firm backside and was just about to rid her of her undergarments when they both heard someone at the opened bedroom door.

"Dad? Michonne?"

Rick sat up immediately and helped Michonne to straighten her clothing; she sat as well and they looked to the doorway before Michonne let her eyes drop and focus on a suddenly interesting pattern on Rick's comforter.

"So sorry, y'all. We just came lookin' for you. You were takin' a long time, and we were wonderin' what you two were doin', but that ain't none o' my business so, yeah, as you were," said Maggie as she awkwardly stood with her hands over a stunned Carl's eyes.

She let one hand fall and then pulled the bedroom door shut. A speechless Rick felt his face grow hot and a mortified Michonne grabbed one of the pillows, fell back onto the bed and covered her face. They soon realized that they had some explaining to do.

* * *

A/N: More to come!


End file.
